Trivia
- Matches across the UK postponed following the passing away of the Queen.
- UK’s Queen passes away: “Celtic Football Club expresses its sincere sympathy and condolences to the family of the late Queen Elizabeth II following today’s announcement of her passing.”
- KO: 15:00; Saturday, Celtic TV abroad only, league matchday 7
- Was supposed to be back to domestic matches after Champions League match in midweek. All three sides from Scotland beaten heavily, Celtic 3 nil to real Madrid, Sevco 4 nil to Ajax and Hearts 4 nil to a Turkish side.
- Reports: Ange Postecoglou favourite to replace Graham Potter as Brighton manager, with Potter close to taking over at Chelsea (who sacked their manager this week).
- Celtic and Sevco-linked midfielder Ross Barkley lands new club but not moved to either Glasgow club.
- In England, former Celtic and Sevco managers, Rodgers and Gerrard, were set to face each other as their sides battle it out in a relegation encounter (Leicester v Villa) that could see one of the two sacked if their sides lose. Match postponed
- Celtic’s upcoming Champions League opponents Leipzig are to offer Marco Rose the manager’s job following the German club’s dismissal of Domenico Tedesco
- A Sevco fan has lost his discrimination case after a judge ruled devotion to a football club cannot be classed as religion. Subcontractor was suing firms in £80,000 discrimination battle claiming he was denied work because he is a Sevco fan. Complete chancer! He’s appealed! LOL.
- A tornado was spotted in Scotland as heavy rain and thunderstorms swept parts of the country!
- Former Celtic midfielder Tom Rogic is in talks with #wba and expected to sign. Rogic is a free agent after leaving Celtic at the end of last season.
Summary
- Matches across the UK postponed following the passing away of the Queen.
- UK’s Queen passes away: “Celtic Football Club expresses its sincere sympathy and condolences to the family of the late Queen Elizabeth II following today’s announcement of her passing.”
- Ridiculous situation wrt football postponement as Rugby and Cricket was played on the weekend (Sat & Sunday). SRU even backtracked and played a rugby game on the Friday after first postponing stuff.
We’re leaving all debate on related constitutional/political etc issues on the subject to other more appropriate forums than this one.
Articles
SPFL and SFA announce fixture decision following death of Queen Elizabeth II
The Scottish FA has confirmed this weekend’s fixtures will not go ahead as a period of mourning gets under way following the death of Queen Elizabeth II.
A decision was taken on Thursday evening to cancel Friday night’s live Championship encounter between Cove Rangers and Dundee as a mark of respect.
The decision to cancel the weekend’s action across the leagues, from the Premiership down to the Lowland League and Highland League as well as the SWPL, came after meetings between the Scottish FA, Scottish Professional Football League, Scottish Women’s Premier League, and Scottish Highland and Lowland Football Leagues.
It follows the English Premier League and Football League both postponing their fixture cards.
Press Box hosted by Graham Spiers
Graham Spiers: Respect for the Queen should not mean putting football on hold.
I’m writing this – deliberately – a full 24 hours after the death of the Queen. It pays on these sensitive occasions, in an age of hysterical disagreement and finger-pointing, to let a little royal dust settle. I’m no monarchist but I liked and much-admired Queen Elizabeth II, for her service and humanity.
To say I’ve been in mourning would be ludicrously overstating it but I have wanted to “note the moment” and take stock and reflect a little on her life. No less and no more than that.
I’m wondering if some of this – never mind religious or cultural – is also generational. My mother, who is 93 and living alone in Glasgow, is in grieving for Her Majesty. This seems remarkable to me, and yet, I can see that their lives have run almost parallel: one born in 1926, the other in 1929. So the Queen has been a constant in so many lives of that generation, and none of this is to be lightly dismissed.
But I digress…
I do wish our football matches were going ahead this weekend. Indeed, with every passing hour of the past 24 since the Queen’s death, it has begun to feel a bit silly and anachronistic to have sport cancelled in this way.
It also feels increasingly out of step with the way many – maybe most? – in the football community are feeling. It seems to me there are growing voices out there who are saying: “oh for pity’s sake, we have admired this woman, and we ‘get’ tradition, but please let our lives go on…”
I fully understand the ‘cultural baggage’ that comes with so much of this. Some of us are republicans, some monarchists, some communists, some Baptists. With every badge comes a certain worldview. It is perfectly obvious that Rangers FC will turn all Presbyterian deacon over the Queen’s passing, while clubs like Celtic and Liverpool have a more circumspect approach. This is because many football clubs have a history or a culture that they wish to remain faithful to.
Yet, even within those cultural borders, there will be disagreement. There will be many Rangers fans right now who simply want the games to go ahead. And there will be quite a few Celtic fans, I’m quite sure, who are happy for some days of quiet reflection to take place.
But the playing of football matches…is it really disrespectful to line up in a centre-circle this weekend, wear black arm-bands, remember the Queen and play the games? Those who are saying ‘yes it is’ to this are starting to look more than a little Victorian in outlook. Surely we have moved on as a society from this prudish straitjacket?
I see that golf and tennis and rugby league have all said ‘oh, don’t be silly’ and are playing their fixtures as usual. I think I’m right in saying – and this is a personal relief to me – that youth football is also going ahead across Scotland this weekend, if the kids and their clubs wish to play.
Sport is vital to children and the notion that a week of mourning or ‘respectful lockdown’ should occur would not just be farcical, but also harmful. I would wager (though he couldn’t possibly come out and say it) that the new King Charles III would happily want our kids to keep their active lives going.
Football remains in an old-fashioned cummerbund over this. Cancelling games this weekend is beginning to feel more than a little absurd. There are plenty people who have admired the Queen and everything she stood for, whose respect for her does not mean they want football cancelled. It feels preposterous.
By the time Saturday and Sunday comes we are going to be asking ourselves: why are we doing this? And I bet it will be the last time that this happens.
In future, when a royal dies, we will have totally moved on from this in Britain. We will realise that ‘showing respect’ does not mean sackcloth and ashes, heads bowed, and life being suspended. Respect will be seen to run much deeper than that.
Whenever it happens, I look forward to football resuming. And I’d like to repeat again: I’ve had so much respect for our late Monarch.
GS / ENDS